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Conference renews push for Peoples’ Mining Bill

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Conference renews push for Peoples’ Mining Bill

By MARYA SALAMAT
Bulatlat.com
Sidebar: John Arcilla, actor, environmentalist attends Peoples’ Mining Conference
MANILA – “A hundred years after exporting our precious timber, have we become rich?” This is the question Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino threw to the participants of the 3rd Peoples Mining Conference happening until today in Tagaytay City.

The conference has drawn nearly 200 environmentalists from all over the Philippines who, in an earlier regional sharing of mining updates, have already detailed how, on the contrary, most ordinary citizens are becoming poorer and more miserable with every operation of huge mining corporations because of massive resource extraction in their midst.

Most lament how, for a pittance or nothing, they are left to contend with the damages to their sources of livelihood caused by denuded mountains and forests while huge corporations are repatriating billions of dollars in profits, Rep. Palatino, and earlier that day Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, were talking to an audience who is evidently already eager for an alternative law that would correct the disastrous Mining Act of 1995. In fact, the alternative mining policy coauthored by the progressive party list groups in Congress “is not just a proposal of the said partylist groups,” said Palatino. House Bill 4315, or the Peoples Mining Bill, he said, “is a product of broad consultations in many regions, and through this, it embodies peoples’ aspirations in how mining can benefit the people.”.... MORE

SourceBulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/03/02/conference-renews-push-for-peoples%E2%80%99-mining-bill/

Western bloodlust: Assad days ‘numbered’, ‘day of reckoning’ for ‘disgraceful’ regime

Western bloodlust: Assad days ‘numbered’, ‘day of reckoning’ for ‘disgraceful’ regime

Statements from Western leaders on Syria have grown harsh, if not menacing, as criticisms of the Bashar Assad government are unleashed and regime change becomes a common theme.

­The fury and thirst for blood can be heard around the world as Washington and Brussels make their views known on how the conflict in Syria should be resolved. The noose began tightening around Damascus after reports emerged in the previous week that several foreign journalists were killed and injured in a siege of the rebel stronghold Homs. And now, Western officials are taking advantage of the incident as an excuse for openly calling for the removal of Assad and his government. The new labels for the country’s president and his regime are growing creative in their severity..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/cameron-assad-rebels-crescent-711/

Rebels could use UN chief’s words as legal cover for free-for-all – Syrian ambassador to UN (w/ Video)



Rebels could use UN chief’s words as legal cover for free-for-all – Syrian ambassador to UN

Syria's Ambassador to the UN Bashar Jaafari condemned comments made by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, warning that they could be “interpreted by the armed groups as a legal cover to be able to act in a criminal fashion.”

­Jaafari, addressing the UN General Assembly after Ban, said the Secretary General's speech was “aggressive, virulent and slanderous.” 

“He said during his statement, that the Syrian government had failed in its responsibilities with regards to defending its people. I feel that this is a double injustice,” Jaafari asserted. He insisted that the UN resolution on Syria passed two weeks ago was unfair, unilateral, subjective and “completely unrelated to what is going on the ground in Syria.”.... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/un-syria-jaafari-government-745/

Tracking the trackers: Mozilla's anti-Big Brother add-on

Tracking the trackers: Mozilla's anti-Big Brother add-on


The owner of Firefox, the world’s second most popular browser, is backing an add-on which would allow users to monitor in real-time how their actions are tracked and shared by various websites as they surf the net.

­The tool currently in development visualizes the flow of information as a meshwork of bubbles representing different websites. It tracks the sites which the user visits and also shows their known partners – ad companies, behavior profilers and other third parties. As surfing continues, a pattern emerges revealing that different popular sites are linked to the same data collectors, which are building up their knowledge on the user’s habits and preferences..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/firefox-addon-tracking-privacy-759/

Air Force abandons $3 billion worth of drones


Air Force abandons $3 billion worth of drones

It has been quite an expensive week for the US Air Force. Not only did Congress halt funding on a surveillance blimp project that they already invested $140 million in, but now the Pentagon says $3 billion worth of drones could be canned as well.

The United States military has already ordered a dozen unmanned surveillance drones at a combined cost of $3 billion, but realizing that the stealth, high-tech spy crafts aren’t as capable as the antiquated, old-school planes already in their arsenal, the Pentagon is pulling the plug in terms of acquiring any more..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/air-force-drones-surveillance-737/

Women more affected, more vulnerable to calamities – CWR

Women more affected, more vulnerable to calamities – CWR


“In addition to the general effects of natural disasters and lack of health care, women are vulnerable to reproductive and sexual health problems, and increased rates of sexual and domestic violence.”
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Bulatlat.com

The Center for Women’s Research has released its findings that the recent calamities that hit Northern Mindanao has hit women and children the hardest.
In a report, the CWR cited data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) that tropical storm Sendong (internationally known as Washi) left a trail of destruction leaving 1,268 dead, majority of whom were women and children. There were still undetermined number of missing persons. More than 6,071 were injured and 125, 256 families were affected.
The NDRRMC estimates the damage in infrastructure and agriculture to reach more than P1.7 billion. Thousands of houses were also ruined.

“Even without a strong typhoon like Sendong, many Filipinos are still being devastated by floods and landslides caused only by heavy monsoon rains. Based on NDRRMC reports, not a single typhoon has entered the country yet for this year, but many areas particularly in Visayas and Mindanao have already experienced floods and landslides. NDRRMC report showed 52 casualties, including the 42 from the landslide in Pantukan, Compostela Valley. Thousands of families are affected and many were brought to evacuation centers,” the CWR said.

According to the research center, calamities take the greatest toll on children and women, especially on pregnant, old-aged and women with disabilities.

“There is also high vulnerability of sexual abuse and harassment especially in evacuation centers,”it said.
A previous study made by the CWR revealed that women victims of calamities have to contend with at least four issues that are the result of falling victim to natural calamities. In the study, the group discovered that women are forced to take extra jobs.

“During calamities, the regular sources of income of husbands are disrupted. Women are expected to find alternative sources of living. Women take on various jobs such as house helpers, launderers, vending, sewing, etc. This is an added burden to women since they are still the ones expected to do the housework for their own homes,” the group said..... MORE
SourceBulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/02/27/women-more-affected-more-vulnerable-to-calamities-%E2%80%93-cwr/

Plan B FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 03/03/2012

Plan B

FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
03/03/2012
Looks like Noynoy and his yellow allies are ready to set into motion their “Plan B” in the event that Chief Justice Renato Corona is acquitted by the Senate impeachment court.

And Plan B appears to be a presidential “coup me” scenario, given the out of the blue announcement of Noynoy Friday before his Presidential Security Group (PSG) where he spoke of a plot to oust him from Malacañang, using again his usual claim of the crooks who want to return to power and return to their corrupt ways as the culprit.

He then clearly wooed his PSG with pledges of taking more of his security along with him on his official travels, obviously abroad, since locally, there is always a PSG contingent that secures him..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120303com2.html

‘What coup plot?’ AFP asks Noynoy By Mario J. Mallari and Fernan J. Angeles 03/03/2012

AQUINO REVELATION OF OUSTER MOVE BEWILDERS MILITARY

‘What coup plot?’ AFP asks Noynoy

By Mario J. Mallari and Fernan J. Angeles 03/03/2012

It’s a tricky case of the military denying a statement of its own Commander in Chief, as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday vehemently belied President Aquino’s claim of an alleged ouster plot against him during the Presidential Security Group (PSG) anniversary celebration last Thursday.

It was also when Aquino announced the acquisition of more firepower and mobile equipment for the PSG headed by Col. Ramon Mateo Dizon.

Without naming names, Aquino hinted that personalities identified with the previous administration of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo as being behind the supposed move to oust him from Malacañang. Arroyo is presently under hospital at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) for electoral sabotage charges..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120303hed1.html

Cayetano questions purpose of UP survey on Corona trial 03/03/2012

Cayetano questions purpose of UP survey on Corona trial

03/03/2012
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, sitting as judge of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, has joined his colleagues in criticizing a survey conducted by the University of the Philippines students on the impeachment trial of Corona.

“It’s a question of fairness. What are you going to use it for? If you’re going to use it to influence the court, or shape public opinion, you’re not doing the country a favor,” Cayetano said yesterday.

Cayetano said the release to the public of the survey conducted by the UP Paralegal Society was premature since the defense had yet to present its witness and evidence..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120303hed5.html

RP gov’t ‘foot-dragging’ in Pinay maid slay scored 03/03/2012

RP gov’t ‘foot-dragging’ in Pinay maid slay scored

03/03/2012
A Filipino migrant workers group has criticized the Aquino government for its slow-paced investigation into the death of a Filipina maid whose body was found floating off Hong Kong waters last month.

The remains of Rowena Gloria Gomez, 34, were repatriated back to the Philippines last February 25 but until now the cause of her death remains unknown while compensation to the victim’s family has yet to be released.

“We hope that Philippine authorities will pursue a swift investigation on Gomez’s case and exert all effort to assist the bereaved family of our fellow overseas Filipino worker,” said Dolores Balladares, chairman of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120303hed6.html

AFP welcomes P6-billion aid from US By Mario J. Mallari 03/03/2012

AFP welcomes P6-billion aid from US

By Mario J. Mallari 03/03/2012

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday welcomed the United States’ P6-billion aid for this year as a big boost to the ongoing capability in upgrading and modernization of the 125,000-strong military organization.

“This is a timely development as we are in the process of upgrading our capability toward external and territorial defense,” said AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. at a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.

According to Burgos, the AFP’s internal peace and security plan “Bayanihan” is designed to shift the military’s focus to external defense by 2014 thus the need to modernize and upgrade its capability. The first three years of IPSP “Bayanihan” are intended to defeat the insurgency..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120303nat4.html

Gunmen shoot Iloilo journalist By Gina Peralta-Elorde and Efren B. Chavez 03/03/2012

Gunmen shoot Iloilo journalist

By Gina Peralta-Elorde and Efren B. Chavez 03/03/2012

A block-time radio broadcaster in Iloilo City was shot and wounded by unidentified armed men yesterday morning.

A special police team is now tracking down the suspects who tried to kill Fernando Gabio Sr.

According to investigator, Gabio was cleaning his car outside his house in Jaro, Iloilo when the suspects wearing black jackets and riding on a black motorcycle shot and wounded him.

Initial investigation showed that Gabio was shot in the leg. He was rushed to Iloilo Mission Hospital for treatment..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120303nat1.html

Solon asks taxi operators to defer bid for fare hike By Gerry Baldo 03/03/2012

Solon asks taxi operators to defer bid for fare hike

By Gerry Baldo 03/03/2012

A lawmaker representing the party-list Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Marketers Association yesterday called on taxi operators to defer moves for an increase in the taxi rates because the prices of petroleum products and LPG are expected to drop this summer.

According to Rep. Arnel Ty, the increase in the prices of LPG and petroleum products will stop this summer due to the expected decline in demand around the world.

“They should wait for one more month and if the price of LPG still doesn’t drop, then that’s okay. I will be supporting their proposal for increase. Another hike would be impossible,” Ty said..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120303met1.html

Solon asks taxi operators to defer bid for fare hike By Gerry Baldo 03/03/2012

Solon asks taxi operators to defer bid for fare hike

By Gerry Baldo 03/03/2012

A lawmaker representing the party-list Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Marketers Association yesterday called on taxi operators to defer moves for an increase in the taxi rates because the prices of petroleum products and LPG are expected to drop this summer.

According to Rep. Arnel Ty, the increase in the prices of LPG and petroleum products will stop this summer due to the expected decline in demand around the world.

“They should wait for one more month and if the price of LPG still doesn’t drop, then that’s okay. I will be supporting their proposal for increase. Another hike would be impossible,” Ty said..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120303met1.html

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